The Price Of Love
by camilliadeborah
Summary: The story is set at the end of New Moon at the time when the Cullens are with the Volturi. What if Aro had decided not to give the Cullens a chance? And under dire conditions, will Bella lean to love and forgive Edward despite his previous betrayal?
1. The Volturi

**CHAPTER 1**

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I stood shaking violently at Edward's side as he gingerly held out his hand, which Aro was grasping tightly. I remembered how it felt as I crashed into Edward to push him away from the sunlight. I remembered how he had backed me up against a wall to shield me from the cruel stares of the Volturi guards. I remembered the harsh words that he had said that day in the woods before he left me, broken and unable to keep moving forward in life. I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on the present. Edward was here. Alice was here. But unfortunately, so were the Volturi. I knew I was going to die. But hopefully, I could get them to spare the Cullens. I did not know how I was going to manage that but I would. Just then, Aro released Edward's hand and looked at me.

"Isabella, you are really special. I have never met anyone, mortal or immortal, who was an exception to my gift or that of Jane's. It would be a pity to have to destroy you. You would make for an extraordinary vampire." Aro spoke softy, his eyes locked on me as he ignored the furious hisses of denial coming from Edward and Alice.

I saw the burly vampires that held them yank them both backwards to keep them in check.

"You will never touch her Aro!" Edward growled as he tried to fight the vampire that held him. His face was twisted in anger.

"Ah, Edward. I can't let you and your family off so easily either can I? You broke the most important rule of all. You revealed yourself to a human. But I know you love the girl despite everything that has happened. And so, I will make you a deal. But bear in mind that I don't usually do this. I shall make the exception only because you are Carlisle's son and you have too many gifts that would benefit the Volturi. Would you like to consider the options?" Aro asked quietly.

"As long as Bella and my family stay alive, I'll do anything." Edward replied roughly. But I could see the quiet submission in the way he seemed to relax in the strong hold of his captor.

"You could leave the girl here with me where she will be killed. But you and your family shall go free. Or, I transform Isabella but all of you, including Isabella and the rest of your family, will have to join the Volturi. Heidi shall escort you to the waiting room where you can confer with the rest of your family. Choose wisely young ones." Aro nodded towards Heidi and she motioned for us to follow her out of the throne room.

I was in shock as Edward pulled me along with him out of the room. Aro had just made it so easy. I would die but the Cullens will live! I would choose death without a fight if it meant that the Cullens would not suffer anymore because of me. And Edward did not love me anymore. I had nothing to live for anymore. He would easily agree to the first option. Charlie, Renee and Jacob will come to accept my death. Everything would be fine. I just had to keep telling myself this and everything would be okay.

Heidi brought us to a room with a few red couches and left us there after telling us that she would be back in an hour to bring us back to Aro.


	2. The Discussion

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Note: Hi Guys, this is the second chapter. I hope you liked the first chapter. This is my first story so I had no idea how to add an author's note previously. But now I know! And I would really appreciate a review **

**Bella's Point Of View:**

Edward led me to the couch where he pulled me down next to him. Alice sat down opposite us.

"Well, we know our choice already. Bella's not going to die. Joining the Volturi is not what we would all like but its what we are going to do." Alice stated matter-of-factly.

Edward nodded but I gasped.

"WHAT! No! Alice, no way! I will not condemn you to a lifetime with the Volturi just so that I can live. Absolutely not!" I argued back as I worked to keep my volume to a reasonable level.

"Bella, none of us are going to let you die. I've already seen it. There's no point fighting it. I'll call Carlisle now." Alice got up and walked away from us to make the call.

"Edward, listen to me. I'm not worth this kind of punishment. Just let me go. I can do this. I don't want you to do this out of guilt. I really can't manage that. Let me die and you guys can go back to living life as you did. Please just don't give up your freedom for me. I'm just a human Edward." I begged.

"You're not…Bella, I'm not doing this out of guilt. I'm doing this out of love. I love you. And I never stopped. When I left, it was just to protect you. I've always loved you and I always will. I know it's hard to believe but please try." He took my hands in his as he pleaded with me. I was confused and oddly angry with him. I stood up suddenly yanking my hands out of his. But before I could yell at him, Alice came back.

"Everyone agrees that we are not going to let you die. Carlisle is arranging for everyone to fly down here as soon as possible. Well, Bella, on the bright side, I've seen you as a vampire already and you are just gorgeous!"

"Alice, please. Don't do this." I begged as a last-ditch attempt to get her to change her mind.

"You are not dying Bella. And besides, its not going to be that bad. I've seen it. Carlisle's high position here previously and our gifts will give us respectable positions here and we will be treated well. I promise you that everything's going to be okay alright?"

I knew there was no point in arguing with her anymore so I sighed and nodded. Edward turned to me then and began to say something but I cut him off by holding up my hand.

"Don't talk to me Edward. You can't just abandon me and completely destroy me in one breath and then tell me you love me and never meant to hurt me in the next just because you know you're going to have to endure living with me for eternity."

"Bella, that's not what it is! You have to believe me. Please!" He begged as he stood up and tried to take my hands again. I pulled away and was about to say something back but Heidi came in just at that moment. Alice nodded to her and I turned on my heels and followed Alice and Heidi out the room while a shocked Edward trailed behind us.

As we entered the throne room again, Aro smiled and walked up to Edward. He grasped his hand again and smiled.

"Well done young ones, you have chosen well. I will have both of you shown into your rooms and Isabella shall come with me. The three of you shall have high places in my guard. And by the time the rest of your family arrives, Isabella shall be a vampire." He motioned for Heidi to lead Edward and Alice to their rooms and then smiled at me.

I saw Edward and Alice throw me anxious glances. I was shaking. Alice hesitated and glanced at Edward once before stepping up to Aro.

"Aro, do you think I could stay with Bella during the transformation? It's…It's going to be painful and scary for her and I just thought that it would be nice to have a familiar face around." Alice asked timidly.

"If Isabella is alright with it then you may follow her." He glanced up at Edward. He obviously had seen our heated exchange from reading Edward's mind and sensed his anxiety. He ordered Heidi to show Edward to his room and asked Jane to lead Alice and I to another room.


	3. Transformation

**CHAPTER 3**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi guys, this is chapter 3. It's about Bella's transformation but in Alice's Point Of View. Enjoy!

ALICE'S POINT OF VIEW:

Jane led us to a room full of books and a bed pushed up against the wall. I was nervous for Bella because I could already see the immense pain she would be in. I was also upset because Edward and Bella had a fight. I knew Edward would not be able to relax till he saw Bella again but she did not even want to see him much less have him in the room during the transformation. Bella was shaking violently beside me so I gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand. I knew she was even more scared than I was.

Aro and Demitri walked into the room just then. And before Bella could even react, Demitri pounced on Bella. The force of the impact threw her across the bed and I heard the ripping of flesh and Demitri sunk his teeth into her. I cringed and silently prayed that he would be able to stop in time.

I heard Bella start to shriek and my heart broke for her. Demitri pulled away and backed away from Bella as if he was afraid of her. Then, he turned and bolted from the room. I moved towards Bella and gently pinned her down so she was not moving so much anymore. Then, I began to speak to her softly.

"It's okay Bella. Don't worry. It's going to be over soon."

She, however, continued to sob and scream. And I turned just in time to see Aro and Jane leave the room together.

Sighing, I went back to trying to calm Bella.

In the middle of the second day, Edward showed up. He had his hands in his pockets and he hesitated at the doorway. He looked up and saw Bella who was still trashing around though some of the fight had gone out of her as exhaustion took its place. His face fell and I could see that his heart was breaking for her and for their lost love.

"Has she…has she been like this since yesterday?" Edward spoke up.

"Yeah. I'm glad you finally decided to show up. I was beginning to doubt my visions."

"I just didn't know if she wanted me here or not."

"She's said your name about ten times already Edward. Don't give up. She'll come around."

Edward stayed with Bella and me for the rest of the transformation. He held her hand and whispered comforting words in her ear. Aro, Caius and Marcus visited her later in the night.

And finally, after three agonizing days, Bella finally stopped screaming and was still. Then, she opened her eyes.


	4. A New World

CHAPTER 4

AUTH0R'S NOTE: Hi guys, I would just like to say a big THANK YOU for all the support you have given me for my first story. I'm just so happy!

BTW, could someone tell me what the difference between 'Hits" and 'Visitors" are? Thank you again guys

BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:

It was so painful. The past three days had been agonizing and extremely difficult. I had never imagined that anything on Earth would hurt more than it had when Edward had left. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that Alice was here and Edward had come sometime during the course of my transformation to be with me. Part of me rejoiced with the knowledge that Edward still cared for me but the other part got angry at him for daring to show up after what happened at the waiting room.

I was so confused. He had said that he loved me in the waiting room and I heard him say it a couple of times while I was burning under the venom. But I just could not get the words he told me in the woods out of my head. I did not know what to believe. But Edward was here. At least he showed up. Though even that could have been done out of a guilty conscious.

When the burning started to cease, I started to feel better. But then, it seemed like the fire was being sucked into my heart. I could feel my last remaining human organ struggle to win the losing battle. My heart. It had been broken, trampled on and abused. Now, it was being replaced. Hard as stone, cold as ice. Maybe this way I won't ever have to go back to what I used to be after Edward left. I could not sleep so I would not have nightmares. I would start to forget my past. I could be numb.

When I opened my eyes, I saw everything in extreme clarity. In one fluid motion I jumped up from the bed and was standing facing a group of vampires. Edward, Alice, Aro, Caius and Demitri. Alice smiled encouragingly at me. My body, which was tensed for an attack relaxed slowly and I straightened up.

"Bella? How do you feel?" Alice asked cautiously.

I struggled to speak at first but when I spoke my first syllable, I was in shock. My voice was so beautiful. It was similar to the voice I'd always envied of Alice's and Edward's.

"I'm...it hurts." I whispered as I clutched my throat, which was burning.

"I know dear. I will have Heidi bring you some food." Aro said gently.

"NO! She will eat like us. I will personally see to it myself that she gets fed and that she knows how to hunt herself." Edward countered while keeping his eyes on mine.

"Very well, but don't be conspicuous. I'm warning you Edward. If she steps out of line, your life will pay the price. She's a newborn and she has no control." Aro warned.

"Absolutely Aro. I will ensure that everything goes well."

Aro nodded and told Edward to get me fed.

"I shall be back when she has fed to discuss her positions in the guard. Carlisle and the rest of your family should be arriving shortly so hurry up."

He then walked out of the room with Caius and Demitri leaving Edward, Alice and I to hunt.


	5. The Hunt

CHAPTER 5

Author's Note: Hey my fellow readers, this is Chapter 5. I hope you like the story so far. Thank you once again for the support and please review if you can. Thanks and I love you guys!

BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:

Edward and Alice looked at me and I took a step back.

"Well, have fun hunting guys. I'll be in my room if you need me." Alice smirked at me as I shot her a look of panic at being left alone with Edward. She smiled and bounced out of the room.

"Um…so, shall we go?" Edward asked cautiously.

I took a deep unnecessary breath to settle myself before looking up at him and nodding.

He turned and stood at the window and motioned me to imitate him. He jumped out the window and after reasoning with myself, I followed. He smiled as I hit the ground on my feet beside him. And then, we were running.

It felt like I was flying. It was beautiful and refreshing. I swerved trees and roots easily as my new heightened senses reacted to these obstacles. I could hear Edward running alongside me but he was lagging behind slightly. I slightly rejoiced knowing that as a newborn, I was stronger and faster than him. I had never ever dreamed that one day I would be a vampire. A beautiful gorgeous creature like Rosalie and Alice. As strong as Emmett. I was finally someone. I was no longer a mere human. I had always dreamt of being like Edward. To be able to hold my own beside him. And finally, I could. Just with one exception, Edward would no longer be at my side.

I heard Edward slow down behind me and come to a stop. I pivoted and ran back to him.

"Okay, now listen carefully. What can you hear? What can you smell? And let your body take control." He instructed me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could hear running water. I could smell the sweet scent of sap. I heard a rustle in the trees and the pounding of a heart. My body reacted to the sound of the heartbeat and before I knew what was happening, I was running again and then I found myself crouched behind a bush. I saw a small deer drinking at the stream. I could hear its heart as it thumped and I could hear the slush of blood as it moved around its veins. And then, I pounced on it.

I felt my teeth sink past the flesh and bone to the warm blood. The animal struggled in my arms for a bit and then it went limp. When I had drained the deer I stood up and hungrily looked for something else. The deer was not satisfying enough.

Edward and I found a heard of grazing elk and I attacked as many as possible. I noticed only after I had finished feeding that Edward was standing quite a distance from me. I also noticed what a mess I was. The top and jeans I was wearing was stained with blood and it was ripped pretty badly. I cursed under my breath and tried to fix the mess before Edward saw. But suddenly he was beside me wrapping his jacket around me.

I froze at his touch and his kind gesture.

"Well done Bella. You're a natural." He whispered and smiled at me.

"Thank you." I muttered back.

Then, we both ran back to Volterra together. When we got back, Edward showed me to my room and before I went inside, he took my hand and looked me in the eyes.

"Bella, I had a great time. I know you hate me now but that does not erase what I feel for you. And I know you're rejecting me now but that won't stop me from trying to get you to believe that I lied that day in the woods and that I love you and have never stopped." He quietly said sincerely.

I pursed my lips and looked up at him. "Maybe so, but the last time I trusted you, you left me. I was so depressed for months. I had nightmares when I closed my eyes. Everything reminded me of you and my depression pushed my friends away. Charlie even wanted to send me back to my mom. So don't blame me that I can't trust you again Edward Cullen. Because it's only your fault."

I yanked my hand out of his, went into my room and slammed the door in his face.

Had I still been human, I would have started sobbing. So, I settled for the tearless cries that this new body could give me.


	6. A New Friend

**CHAPTER 6**

**Author's Note: Hey Guys, are you liking the story so far? Once again, I'm grateful for all you support and PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review! I only have 2 so far. I want to make the story better for you guys so help me please. THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!**

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I was lying on my new huge bed thinking over my exchange with Edward when there was a knock on my door and Caius walked in.

"Isabella, Aro has sent me to get you. The rest of the Cullens have arrived and your presence is required in the throne room. I do suggest that you change though. I shall give you a minute." He said as he eyed my bloody and torn clothes.

I looked down at myself as Caius left the room. I was still wearing Edward's jacket and my hunting clothes. I quickly changed out of my bloody clothes and got into a pretty black dress I found in the closet. I tied up my hair and slipped on a pair of black ballet flats. Then I walked out and Caius and I walked to the throne room together.

When I entered the room, I had to resist the urge to run and hug them all. I had missed them so much. Instead, I remembered who I now was. I held up my head and walked up to stand beside Emmett who was grinning at me. I smiled at him in spite of everything. He was always nice to me and treated me like a sister.

"Alright, now that we are all here, let me first welcome all of you to the Volturi guard. I shall try to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. You know our rules and you need to respect them. And with that said, we shall accommodate your _unusual_ feeding habits.

"Carlisle, you will take up your old position again. We have missed you old friend. Esme will join my wife Sulpica. Edward, Alice, Jasper and Isabella will be part of my top rank guards alongside Marcus, Caius, Jane, Carlisle and I because of their gifts. Emmett and Rosalie will be part of the guards that protect the top rank. Your rooms have been assigned and you are free to roam around our castle. When we need you, you will be summoned and your gifts may be necessary to enforce laws at anytime and you must be ready for that. Any questions?"

We all shook our heads and Aro smiled and dismissed us.

Back in my room later on, I decided to visit the library in the castle. There were a few books in my room but I wanted more. I was currently reading the only familiar title I found in my room. 'Inferno' by Dante. It was quite an interesting book written in a poem form about the nine levels of Hell.

I had absolutely no idea where the library was so I wandered around, opening doors and hopping that I would not bump into any of the Cullens. Then, I saw big heavy looking black doors. Convinced that this was the library, I pushed open the doors and saw Caius stretched out on a sofa reading a book. There was a fireplace and a huge table with what looked like letters all over it. It was obviously his room.

"Oh my gosh! Caius! I'm so sorry! I'm just looking for the library. I am so sorry! Really!" I gasped out

He sat up and looked at me with a slightly amused expression on his face. "No problem. Easy mistake. Isabella right?"

"Um...Yeah. But, you can call me Bella."

"Why? Isabella is a beautiful name. What are you reading?" He nodded towards the book in my hand.

"Inferno. By Dante. It's quite deep and poetic."

"Ah! I've read that before. Wonderful writer. You know, I'm just reading here. Maybe you would like to join me?"

I smiled at him and stepped into the room, closing the doors behind me.

"Sure. I would love that." I sat down in one of the couches opposite him and opened my book while he did the same.

That was the start of an extraordinary and unlikely friendship between Caius and I.


	7. The Other Side Of Caius

**CHAPTER 7**

**Author's Note: Hey guys, this is chapter 7. I just got a review that absolutely made my day! Thank you so much PotterNinja for your lovely reviews and thanks to Deathnoteuser07 as well! I enjoy reading your reviews so please do drop me one. Love you guys!**

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I spent the rest of my day curled up on Caius's sofa reading my book and talking to him. He told me about his human life and how he became a vampire. He told me about Clea, his lover 280 years ago.

"Clea and I met while hunting. In fact, she nearly tore me to pieces over a lion the first time we met. Anyway, our friendship blossomed into love and soon we were inseparable. I loved her so much. We lived together in France and we were happy. But then, a coven of five came onto our land and they refused to listen to us when we tried to tell them that their hunting was too conspicuous. And then, I made the biggest mistake of my entire 350 years. I left Clea alone in the house while I went out to settle some matters at the bank. When I got back, there was a fire going strong and my beautiful wife was…was dead. Apparently, she tried to confront the coven by herself and since she was seriously outnumbered, she was killed.

"Anyway, after the loss of Clea, I got angry and came to the Volturi demanding justice. Aro saw what I could be and invited me to join the guard. I had nothing to lose so I did. And the coven that killed Clea was all slaughtered. Every one of those miserable creatures." Caius shook his head to clear it and looked up at me and smiled.

"I'm so sorry. It sounds awful." I consoled.

"Well, it was a long time ago. I will never stop loving Clea, but I've moved on. So, what about you? What's the story?"

"Story? Me?" I asked confused.

"You and that Edward boy have a history right? What happened?"

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious. I've seen the way he looks at you and the way _you_ look at _him_."

I looked down in my lap and began to tell Caius everything. The pain, the nightmares, everything.

"So, yeah, that's what happened. He keeps trying to get me back but I feel that he's just doing it because he's alone now and has to live with me forever. I just feel so betrayed. And I just don't know what to do. Do I forgive him and let him back into my heart or do I ignore him and move on?"

"Well, I think you should go with what your heart says. If you think that you can love him again, then maybe you should give him a chance. But if you still doubt his sincerity, then you should move on. But you know, if you really don't know what to do, maybe you should go to Aro. He knows everything in Edward's mind and heart. He can tell you if Edward is just toying with you or if he really wants you back." Caius advised.

I laughed. "Wow. Thanks Caius. You could be a relationship counselor. I thought about the Aro part too but won't that just be desperate?"

He chuckled. "Possibly. But if it reunites you with Edward, than I think you should just try going for it."

I nodded slowly then sat up and flashed him a dazzling smile. I would have never imagined that Caius could be so…_normal._ When he was with Aro and Marcus, he was always so composed and silent. This was a side of him that was so different. And I liked it a lot.


	8. Forgiveness

**CHAPTER 8**

**Author's Note: Hi guys, I'm trying to update the story as fast as possible now because I'm really excited about the positive reactions I'm getting from my readers. So keep them coming readers! I'd love to hear from you! **

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

My friendship with Caius was growing stronger everyday. Every morning, I would go to his room with a book and we would curl up on his sofas and read and talk. Caius and I had also taken to going hunting together and sometimes just running together in silence.

Edward was still trying to talk to me and get me to listen to him. It had been two weeks already and I still refused to try to talk to him. Caius kept telling me to try but I just could not bring myself to do it.

Three weeks had passed since we had joined the Volturi. I was actually enjoying myself. Caius had been helping me to practice using my gift of a shield. Then, one night, as Caius and I walked in from another successful practice session, we walked into Edward. I stopped talking and froze.

"Bella. Caius." Edward nodded at us and was about to walk away when I did the unthinkable.

"Wait Edward!" I begged. Then I apologized to Caius who was grinning broadly and ignored my apologies. He ducked into his room smirking.

"Um…hey. I just wanted to talk to you about...well, us." I stammered. I silently cursed at myself for stopping Edward. I was so stupid! Did I actually think that he would wait around for eternity for me to come back to him? He probably had already started moving on!

"Of course Bella. You know I always want to talk to you. Would you like to take a walk?" He flashed me his crooked smile, which used to make me forget my own name when I was human and he gestured down the stairs that led to the garden outside. I took a deep breath to settle myself and nodded.

" Yeah sure." We walked out to the garden in silence. It was pitch-black dark except for the moonlight, which reflected off the huge pond.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Edward asked gently. He was beautiful in the moonlight.

" I wanted to say that I hate where we are now. I don't like trying to avoid you and I don't like not knowing what's going to happen between us anymore. I'm not saying that I completely forgive you. But maybe we could at least start with being friends?" I hesitantly smiled at him. Edward was grinning at me.

"Of course Bella. Absolutely!" He then gently pulled me into a hug. I stiffened for a second and then relaxed into his familiar hold. When we broke apart. I was torn. It felt like he had never left. Yet, his words in the woods before he left still haunted me. Even with my human memories fading, his words seemed to have been seared into my mind.

"So, what have I missed in your life so far?" He asked lightly.

"Well, I met a werewolf who helped me rebuild two motorbikes and later taught me how to ride it. And I'm best friends with Caius." I laughed. My life sounded so corrupted. Edward laughed and we spent the rest of the night together on a bench in the garden talking and laughing.


	9. The Mess

**CHAPTER 9**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi my readers! I hope your enjoying the story so far. I would like to give a special thanks to my favorite reader, PotterNinja who gave me the inspiration for this chapter. Thank you for the support PotterNinja! **

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I was confused. On one hand, talking to Edward last night was magical. It was like he had never left. And he did not even try to push it. He seemed content to go at my pace. All he did was hug me and then he seemed to become as good a friend to me as Caius was.

But something was bugging me. Like maybe I was making a mistake trying to be friends with him. I could barely admit it to myself but I somehow knew that Edward would find a way to make me fall for him again. It was just him.

Though my life seemed perfect with my growing friendships with Edward and Caius and my reunion with the rest of the Cullen family, I was still missing Jacob, Charlie and Renee. It seemed like they were taken from me so suddenly. I knew that I might never see my parents again but I could at least call Jacob.

So, that afternoon, I picked up the phone and called him. The phone rang quite a number of times and I nearly hung up but then a low husky voice answered the phone. 'My Jacob' I thought with a smile. He sounded tired and upset.

"Jake? It's me. Bella."

"BELLA? Oh my gosh! Bella! Your alive!'' He was obviously esthetic. I felt a pang of guilt for not calling sooner and letting him believe that I was dead.

"Yeah it's me Jake!"

"Wait…what happened to your voice?"

"I'm a vampire now Jacob. I'm so sorry. I had to do it. The Volturi would not let us go free." I begged him to understand.

"Volturi? Bella what's going on? Charlie is frantic. Your mom and Phil even flew down here. The entire pack has gone looking for you. Everyone's worried sick."

I explained everything that had happened and told him that I would not be able to come home ever.

"I'm so sorry Jake. I really am."

"No…I'll come there myself Bella. I don't care if you're a vampire now. I have to do something."

"Jacob Black you listen to me. You will stay in Forks. Tell my parents for me that I'm dead, as last favor to me. Please?" I begged.

"Bella…I…Bella I love you. Please come home. I miss you."

"Jake don't. Please, I miss you too but I can't come home. I've made a promise to stay here. I have to go now. I love you very much Jacob. Thank you for everything you've done for me." Then, I hung up as he started protesting again. I collapsed onto my bed and started screaming into my pillow.

My door burst open and Edward was standing there. And then suddenly he was sitting beside me stroking my hair and rubbing my back.

"What happened Bella? Are you okay?"

"I just called Jacob." I stated numbly. "Everyone's looking for me, Edward. I've left a mess behind."

"I'm so sorry Bella. I wish there was someway you could go back. I would stay here in your place if that were possible."

After I had calmed down, Edward and I went for a run together and ended up sitting side by side with our back to a tree. We stared up at the stars and Edward told me all about the ancient stories of the stars.


	10. The Cullen Meeting

**CHAPTER 10**

**Author's Note: Hey guys, CHAPTER 10! Are you excited? Thank you for the awesome support and please review! Thank you guys! **

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I was curled up on Caius's sofa with him. We had a book written in Italian between us and Caius was teaching me to read it. He had decided to do that after I kept complaining to him that I could not understand more than half of the books in the huge library.

"Egli entrò nella stanza piena di gente. That means, 'He walked into the room full of people" Caius translated slowly.

"Egl…Egli…wow, this is so confusing."

He smiled at me encouragingly. "You'll get it Isabella. It just takes practice."

Just then, Alice burst into the room. "BELLA! I need to talk to you! It's urgent!" She grabbed my hand and yanked me out of my seat.

"Sorry Caius!" I called over my shoulder as Alice pulled me out of his room and into hers. I heard him chuckle to himself and I knew I had been forgiven.

When Alice slammed her door, I turned and saw the entire Cullen family sitting before me.

"What's going on?" I asked curiously. Edward stood up and walked to me.

"Alice can't see any of our futures any more."

"We think that maybe that has to do with a battle or something that's coming up." Carlisle spoke up.

"But that's impossible. If we were facing a vampire attack then Alice would be able to see it right?" I asked in confusion. I was also quite scared. If Alice could not see our futures anymore, that meant that something bigger than all of us together was coming at us. And I had no idea if I was even prepared. The training Caius was giving me was not enough. I needed more time. We all did.

"That's the thing, we think it's not a vampire attack. Maybe its something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. But we should warn the rest of the Volturi. I will go to Aro the tomorrow when he comes back from Romania" Carlisle said.

Everybody nodded in agreement at that. Then, they got up and started to leave. Alice, Edward and I were the only ones left.

"What else could it be? The only other supernatural creatures we know of are the werewolves." I mused out loud.

"Werewolves? Bella, you were telling me about Jacob yesterday right?" Edward asked with a strange look on his face.

"Yeah so?"

"Well, maybe it's his pack." He replied

"The wolves? They have no reason to come here Edward. That's ridiculous!" Alice retorted. I nodded in agreement.

"Unless Jacob decided to try to break you out of here by killing your captors." Edward reasoned.

I looked up at him in shock. He had a point. Jacob was very capable of making stupid and irrational decisions. What if he decided to come here and take down the Volturi to save me? The pack would have seen our conversation through their mind reading and so, if he believed that taking down the Volturi was easy, he could have easily convinced the rest of the pack to help him.

My mind began to race ahead of me. I had to call him. I had to make sure he did not do anything that would get him killed. If he died, it would be all my fault.

I pushed past Edward and ran into my room. I picked up the phone and dialed the number that I had memorized from dialing it about a thousand times when I was human. It rang for so long that I nearly hung up. But then the phone clicked and a voice came on from the other side.


	11. The Phone Call

**CHAPTER 11**

**Author's Note:** **Hi guys, I'm so sorry that I have not been writing for a while. I just went for a sleepover. So please forgive me. Anyway, please review and read and I promise to keep writing **

**BELLA'S POINT OF VIEW: **

"Hello?" A deep voice answered the phone.

"Billy! I need to speak to Jacob. It's very urgent."

"Who is this?" He asked hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter. I really need to speak to him." I begged.

"Jacob's not here right now."

"What? Where is he?" I was panicking already.

"Look, I can pass on the message if you need me to." Billy reasoned.

I did not know if Jacob had told his father that I was alive but I decided that desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Billy, its me, Bella Swan. I don't know if Jacob told you the truth but…"

Billy cut me off. "Jacob told me Bella. I did not expect you to call here ever again. While I have you on the phone, I would like to tell you that you left a huge mess behind you. Charlie was so frantic when you left. He alerted all the police departments within a 1000-mile radius and he did not sleep and would not have eaten had Sue and I not forced him to. He was a mess. And when we told him that you were dead, he became someone I could not even recognize. He refused to believe it for a few days even. He just went into overdrive looking for you. Then, it sunk in. He has not left his house in ages Bella. And your mother is distraught. It's awful here. I hope you're happy. You may think that becoming a vampire was sacrificial for the Cullens but let me tell you that you didn't think it through at all. And I will never forgive you for doing this to Charlie, Renee, Phil, Jacob and the rest of the town who knew and loved you."

I was shocked into a silence for a minute. I knew that people at home would not take my 'death' lightly but Billy's words were a blow to the chest. I took a deep breath and reminded myself of why I was on the phone with him in the first place.

"I'm sorry Billy. But I did what I had to. I knew there were consequences but I made my choice already. Look, I have reason to believe that Jacob and the wolf pack might be planning to take down the Volturi. They are the vampire's I'm living with now and Jacob did not take it easily when I told him and now…I just need to make sure that he stays at home where he will be safe." I said trying to ignore the lump in my throat.

"All I know is that Jacob said that the pack and himself were going to fight a threat. That's all Jacob would tell me. They left yesterday together and I have not heard from them since. I'm sorry that I cannot give you more information. But Bella, the pack is big and very strong. Sam would not have given the order had he thought it would be unnecessary danger. So don't jump to conclusions. Goodbye now." He hung up the phone and I sunk down on the carpet with the phone still in my hand. I had to stop him. I just had to. He would get himself killed. My Jacob. My best friend. I would not let him go on a suicide mission like that. I would stop him no matter what.

I stood up determinably and hung up the phone. Then, I walked out of my room and into Edward's.


	12. I Love You

**CHAPTER 12**

**Author's Note: Hi guys, I decided to give you a chapter in Edward's Point Of View just to spice up the story a bit. **

**Just for those that are confused, in chapter 11, I left off saying that Bella was going into Edward's room. This chapter happens during Bella's phone call to Billy. **

**Enjoy and review PLEASE! **

**EDWARD'S POINT OF VIEW:**

I sat down on my bed and stared at the wall blankly. I was not ready to get into a fight. Especially if it was from a pack of werewolves intent on taking Bella away from me. We were still on a 'friends' basis and I was struggling to find the right time to talk to her about getting back together. And now, with the prospect of war, she was so stressed out that mentioning 'us' would probably trigger and explosion. And that would just be the opposite of helpful.

I heard a knock at my door and Alice sauntered in without an invitation.

"What do you want Alice?" I sighed.

"To talk to you."

"About?" I asked pointedly.

She sat opposite from me on a couch and took a deep breath.

"Edward, I'm scared about…the future. I can't see it and that makes me so afraid. And I can't even be around Jasper much anymore because he gets upset when he see's how afraid and unhappy I am. I don't know what to do anymore."

I got up and sat next to her. I put my arm around her and hugged her. 'Hey, its okay. Everything's going to work out fine. You'll see." I comforted her gently. She was my favorite sister for a reason. She could be annoying and mean and horribly sarcastic sometimes. But when she let her guard down, she would completely transform into a vulnerable and innocent girl. And I knew she only let down her guard really with Jasper and I. She pulled away from my hug and stood up. She walked to the window and looked out to the woods below.

"What do you think it is?" She asked.

"I don't know. But if it's werewolves, we will find a way to stop them before they hurt anybody. I know Bella won't let us destroy the wolves if she's friends with that Jacob Black. Ugh. I saw how she looked after calling him that first time. She was a mess. I can't help wishing that she would feel as strongly attached to me again. She used to rely so heavily on me before. I miss her so much. I don't think I could stop myself from destroying this wolf if he thinks he has a hook in my Bella. If I see him, he'd better watch out."

"Edward! Now is not the time to think about killing Jacob. Bella will not love you any more if you kill her best friend. I mean, you saw how frantic she became when she found out that the wolves might behind this attack. She wont let anybody touch them if she can help it. You will get her back Edward. I can't see it yet but I know that she still loves you and she will come back to you as long as you don't push her too hard."

"I guess you're right. But I miss her. Alice, I really miss her. She seems to have more fun talking and spending time with Caius now rather than me. And before, she would barely give her school friends the time of the day. She would rather spend time with me all the time. That's how attached she used to be to me. And now, as a vampire, she seems to no longer need me. I miss the Bella would tripped over her own feet all the time and had to depend on me to keep her from falling. I miss the Bella who needed me to sing her to sleep every night. I miss how she looked when she blushed. I miss her sweet, human, smell. I miss hearing her talk in her sleep. I miss what a horrible liar she used to be. I miss how she…BELLA!" I turned at the sound of the door creaking open. Bella stood in the doorway shyly. She bit her lip and spoke.

"I called Jacob but his dad, Billy said that he and the pack went away on a trip and wouldn't tell him much. I think he's on the way here and we need to stop them before they make a big mistake and get themselves killed. I'm going to be look for them and stop them before they attack. I can't let them get near the castle. Or even Volterra for that matter. I need to tell Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens to keep quiet about the wolves."

"I can do that for you. I'll go and tell them now." Alice volunteered and left the room quickly.

Bella looked to the ground. She was suddenly nervous now that we were both left alone. "So," She nervously began. "I heard what you said about me to Alice."

"You did? How much?"

"Just enough to know that I would be making a big mistake if I didn't take you back." She looked up at me slowly. Then she took two hesitant steps towards me. I smiled at her. Gosh! She was just so beautiful.

"Edward, I just want you to promise me one thing before I give my heart back to you." She said quietly.

"Anything Bella." I whispered.

"Promise me that you will never leave me again."

"I only make a mistake once Bella. I promise you that I will never leave you again and that I will never lie to you about my feelings. I promise you that I will go to the ends of the Earth to gain back your trust because I love you so much." I earnestly replied.

She smiled at me slowly and then took another step towards me. And then, she had her arms around my neck and in my hair. Her lips were pressed into mine and I was clutching her and pulling her to me. Despite turning into a vampire, she still tasted and felt the same to me. We kissed like we'd never been apart. We clung to each other and suddenly; the months that I spent without her seemed to disappear. We fell back onto the bed laughing, as we broke apart. She sat up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she smiled at me.

'I have missed you so much Isabella Swan." I said lovingly as I pulled her onto me again.

"I missed you more." She challenged.

"I hardly think that's possible" I replied as I kissed her again. I buried my face into her sweet smelling hair and was immediately transported back to the nights when she would lie next to me with her head on my chest and my arms around her and we would just talk till it got late enough and I would sing her to sleep.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and enjoy being with you again, I have to go and find Jacob and the pack." She stood up reluctantly with her hand still in mine. I sat up too.

"Then I'll go with you. I was never going to let you go by yourself to find a bunch of werewolves in the first place. We can catch up on each other that way too."

She smiled at me and nodded. Then, we both parted ways to prepare to leave.


	13. The Journey

**CHAPTER 13**

**Author's Note: Hi Guys, I hope you all liked my EPOV chapter. If you want more EPOV, just send me a message. I had a lot of fun writing Chapter 12 and I hope you all liked reading it too. **

**Anyway, I would like to thank my best friend Hannah who read my story for me and gave me great constructive criticism. I love you!**

**Bella's Point Of View:**

I was walking on air. Or at least that's what it felt like. Edward and I were together again! I was so excited and happy. Of course, when I walked into his room after calling Billy, I had not expected to take him back and to kiss him. But I overheard what Edward said about me to Alice just before I entered the room and my will crumbled. And now, Edward and I would be going to find Jacob together. I twirled around my room happily. Then, I froze. It just occurred to me that Edward and Jacob might not be too happy to see each other. Considering, of course, that Jacob's main goal for coming here was to get me back and that he was slightly in love with me.

I took a deep breath and then decided that I would deal with it when the time came. I put on my best casual clothes and then went into Edward's room. Alice and Carlisle were talking to him there. I knocked gently and walked in. Edward beamed at me and Alice ran to me and threw her arms around me in a hug.

"Congratulations Bella! Edward just told me."

I hugged her back and laughed. I was so typical of Alice. As Alice pulled away, Carlisle stepped towards me and began to speak.

"Bella, I will not inform anybody about the wolves just yet. But if you cannot stop them from coming here, I will need to tell the Volturi to prepare for war. I'm sorry dear. But everyone's fighting for their lives here and I'm not going to stand aside and watch the wolves attempt to hurt my family. I wish both of you the best." Carlisle nodded sadly at Edward and I and then walked out of the room. I felt a pang of guilt at the pain and anxiety I had caused the Cullens yet again, just by calling Jacob.

"Ready to go sweetheart?" Edward held out his hand and I took it. I nodded confidently. Hand in hand, Edward and I jumped out from his window. I would make things right again. I would not threaten the safety of the Cullens yet again.

"Okay, where first?" He asked me.

"I don't know how they will be coming so we have to be prepared for anything. I think we should go to the airport first. Forks and Italy are too far apart for even a vampire. The pack will most likely fly here and then come to Volterra as wolves through the forests."

Edward nodded and then smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Race you?"

I giggled and agreed.

I flew through the forest and I could hear Edward right beside me. I had raced Caius a thousand times before so racing through the forest was not foreign to me. However, racing with Edward was a completely different thing. For one thing, he was _fast_! And for another, I was so used to being on his back as he ran and thinking that even if I ever became a vampire, I would never be as fast as him. And now, here I was running in pace with him. I was a beautiful feeling. I closed my eyes and let my senses guide me through the trees. The wind whipped my hair back and I could barely feel the forest floor since I was running so fast. I was well aware of Edward and I noticed when he started to lag behind.

"BELLA!" I heard him call out to me. I dug my heels into the dirt and whipped around. I ran back to him and expertly stopped beside him. I used my fingers to comb through the tangles in my hair and giggled. That was the most fun I 'd had in a long time. He smiled and laughed along with me. "That was fun Bella. But you know something? I won."

"No way!" I hit his arm playfully. "I totally won!"

He hugged me and then planted a quick kiss on my lips. "Okay, you win." He gave in as I pulled him closer to me.

"Darling, we're on a mission remember?" He murmured against my lips. I sighed and then pulled away from him. We were near the airport.

We walked hand in hand out of the forest into an empty, abandoned parking lot behind the airport and then walked into the airport and looked at the list of all the flights. There was only one flight coming into Italy from Port Angeles and it was landing in an hour.

"That has to be them! There is no direct airport in Forks." I pointed out.

"Okay, well, we have an hour. I suggest staying near the 'Arrivals'. We don't want to miss them."

I nodded and we walked hand in hand to sit at a bench in direct view of the Arrival gate. And then, I heard a horribly familiar voice behind me.

"Bella?"

I turned around quickly and gasped.

"Caius?"


	14. The Pack

**CHAPTER 14**

**Author's Note: Hi guys, you enjoying the story so far? Please review! Thanks! I love you guys! **

**Bella's Point Of View:**

I stood up quickly and saw Edward do the same beside me.

"What are you doing here Caius?" I asked suddenly afraid. If he told Aro and Marcus that the Cullens and I knew of an impending threat but chose to keep quiet about it, Aro would have all of us killed immediately. And I could not have that.

"I overheard your conversation with Carlisle and Alice and decided to follow the both of you. I could sense trouble and I was worried about you. Wolves are not always the most…peaceful creatures you know." Caius admitted with a shrug.

"Well, as you can see Caius, Bella and I have everything under control. Bella was just expecting some friends." Edward calmly replied.

I looked at Edward and then decided that I would just have to trust Caius with the truth. If he had overheard our conversation, there would be no way of hiding anything from him.

"Caius? Can I talk to you privately please?" I asked as I pulled him away from Edward. Edward gave me a look that told me to be careful and I gave him a slight nod to tell him to calm down.

Caius and I went far enough away so that Edward would not overhear anything. Though I knew he would read Caius's mind, but I could not help that.

"Caius, I know this looks bad right now so I'm not going to lie to you. My werewolf friends from when I was human are coming here and they want to take down the Volturi so that they can save me. Edward and I came here to stop them. But if we could not, we planned to call Carlisle and have him alert everyone to prepare for war. I just don't want my friends to get hurt Caius. Please. I know you don't owe me any favors but I'm begging you. Please don't tell anyone till I can at least try to stop them. I'm begging you!" I pleaded with him desperately.

"Why should I keep your secret? Just so that those wolves can come and try to destroy the Volturi? How can I believe that this is not just part of your plan to try to escape from the Volturi with the rest of the Cullens? You made up with Edward so now the outside world has a great draw for you. You may think that we vampires are weaker than your wolves but let me tell you that we are the strongest and most gifted vampires you will ever meet. We can and will kill them. You may think you can throw a blindfold over Aro and Marcus but I'm not falling for it. I will go back and warn the Volturi so that when the wolves come, we will be ready for them. They don't have a chance and neither do you and the Cullens." He roughly threw back.

"Caius…That's not what it is! We did not plan this at all. You have to believe me. Please. I know it seems hard to believe me but I would never try to escape. I'm your best friend Caius. Why won't you trust me after all this time together?" I trailed off as I struggled to keep from accusing him of being a bad friend and not trusting me.

"I trust you Isabella. And I am your best friend. But that does not erase the fact that a pack of wolves are coming to try to take the Volturi down and you and the Cullens know about the impending attack but did not tell any of us about it. You were willing to risk our lives to save your wolves, which are technically supposed to be our natural enemies. The Volturi is your family now Isabella. And you protect your family at all costs. Do you understand me?" He regarded me fiercely.

I nodded slowly. "So, does this mean you will help us?" I timidly asked as I tried to keep the victorious smile off my face. He sighed deeply.

"I hope you realize how much trouble I could get into by helping you. I will keep quiet about it on the condition that you and the rest of the Cullens fight on the Volturi's side should we not be able to stop the wolves. And you will need to make sure that you do not let Aro touch you as far as possible. One touch and all our covers will be blown. Got it?"

I squealed in delight and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged me back with a chuckle and spun me around. "Oh thank you thank you thank you Caius!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him back to Edward. He stood up as he saw us coming back and smiled as he read Caius's mind.

"Good thing you guys got back. They're plane just landed." Edward pointed at the plane schedule screen.

The three of us walked closer to the arrival gate and fifteen minutes later, I caught a glimpse of Sam.

"They're here." I whispered as I was transported to the times when I would be at Emily's house with all the wolves laughing, joking and eating together. I saw the tension and stress in the way Sam walked. They knew we were here. Then, I saw Jacob. My Jacob. He looked taller, if that was even possible. His face was twisted in anger and I saw him look up at me. He took a deep shuddering breath and I wondered what he thought of me now. He could not hate me that much if he was risking the lives of the pack and himself to save me. The pack stopped a few feet away from Edward, Caius and I.

"Shall we take this somewhere more private?" Edward murmured. I saw Sam nod tightly and then, Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me against his side. We were headed towards the forest.


End file.
